Union minister welcomes Tirupati temple board’s decision on non-Hindu staff

Union minister G Kishan Reddy welcomed the decision by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to allow only Hindus to serve at the Lord Venkateshwar temple.
The newly formed TTD board held its first meeting and announced some decisions on Monday regarding the functioning of the shrine. One of the key resolutions was to allow only Hindus to be TTD employees, and non-Hindu staff should either voluntarily retire or be moved to other government offices within Andhra Pradesh. Commenting on TTD’s decision, Reddy said: “I welcome the TTD board’s decision. In its first effort to bring reforms, the board has decided that those who work near Lord Venkateswara Swamy should be Hindus only. Non-Hindus should not be there.”
“In Venkateswara Swamy temple, where for years non-Hindus have been employed, there has been a long-standing demand by Hindu groups and devotees. They wanted only those who believe in Lord (Balaji), and who have spiritual faith in the Hindu community should be allowed to work within the Venkateswara Swamy temple premises,” Reddy stated.
“It’s a happy occasionOnly those who believe in Hinduism, and this temple and lord (Venkateshwara) will be given employment here,” he said.
Saying that he welcomed this decision, he said that people who believe in the same faith as any place of worship, should be allowed to work on the premises. “I would like this to happen across India; whether it is of Hindu community or any other community’s place of worship, those who believe in their faith should be the only ones to work in those premises. Such a decision should be taken everywhere. The decision taken by TTD should be implemented in all temples and other places of worship.
He also praised TTD’s other main decision not to allow any political activities in Tirumala. “Tirumala Tirupati is the Vaikuntha of this Kaliyuga. It’s a sacred place, that’s why only religious, spiritual events should take place here. No political topic should be discussed or raised on these hallowed grounds,” Reddy stated.
The minister also appreciated the TTD’s decision to procure superior quality of ghee for ‘laddu’ preparations. “In the coming days, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams should be a prominent spiritual centre of India. It is being developed like the Vatican city,” he added.